North Carolina State UniversityThe Friday InstituteNCSU College of EducationNCSU NELA Project Hompage

Standard 1: Strategic Leadership


School executives will create conditions that result in strategically re-imaging the school’s vision, mission, and goals in the 21st century. Understanding that schools ideally prepare students for an unseen but not altogether unpredictable future, the leader creates a climate of inquiry that challenges the school community to continually re-purpose itself by building on its core values and beliefs about its preferred future and then developing a pathway to reach the vision.

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Related Coursework and Training
  • Facilitative Leadership Training
  • Schooling by Design Training
  • Understanding by Design Training
  • Visit to A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School (Raleigh, NC)
  • Visit to KIPP School: Gaston College Prep and KIPP Pride High (Gaston, NC)
  • Community and Place-Based Learning Training
  • Distinguished Leadership in Practice Training
  • Crucial Conversations Training

Related Readings
  • The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
  • Reframing Organizations by Bolman & Deal
  • The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
  • The World is Flat by T. L. Friedman
  • Leading With Inquiry & Action by Militello & Rallis
  • Leading in a Culture of Change by Michael Fullan
  • Linchpin by Seth Godin
  • Out of our Minds by Ken Robinson



1a: School Vision, Mission and Strategic Goals


The school’s identity, in part, is derived from the vision, mission, values, beliefs and goals of the school, the processes used to establish these attributes, and the ways they are embodied in the life of the school community.

Experiences and Artifacts
  • Developed educational vision statement
  • Created letter of introduction to staff
  • Assessed effectiveness of Parker Middle vision and mission statement with mentor principal
  • Created new student orientation presentation
  • Participated in vision planning work session with teachers and support staff
  • Co-facilitated 2012-13 School Improvement Plan work session for Instructional Leadership Council

1b: Leading Change


The principal articulates a vision, and implementation strategies, for improvements and changes which result in improved achievement for all students.

Experiences and Artifacts

1c. School Improvement Plan


The school improvement plan provides the structure for the vision, values, goals and changes necessary for improved achievement for all students.

Experiences and Artifacts
  • Co-facilitated the development of the 2012-13 School Improvement Plan
  • Met with the Instructional Leadership Council to establish professional development opportunities aligned with the strategies of the School Improvement Plan
  • Provided professional development around PLCs as a baseline for teachers to begin collaborating around strategies in School Improvement Plan, with a specific focus on instructional techniques and strategies to engage students in learning

1d: Distributive Leadership


The principal creates and utilizes processes to distribute leadership and decision-making throughout the school.

Experiences and Artifacts